How to move to Canada as a tech worker

If you work in the technology sector, you may have an advantage in seeking to live and work in Canada.

In recent years, Canada has introduced work permit streams and permanent residence (PR) pathways to attract skilled workers in tech.

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With the US planning a new $100,000 USD fee for H-1B visa petitions, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney announced plans for Canada to have a “clear offering” for skilled foreign workers in tech affected by the US H-1B visa fee hike.

It’s not yet known what this “clear offering” will be.

But Canada already has a variety of routes for tech professionals to live and work in the country:

Skilled workers can move to Canada on work permits, or as incoming permanent residents.

Work permits are temporary in nature, are generally issued for 1-3 years, and can be renewed in some cases.

Permanent resident status allows holders to live and work in Canada indefinitely.

For some foreign nationals, it’s possible to apply for PR from outside Canada, and then move to Canada after your PR application has been confirmed.

But even if your goal is to settle in Canada as a permanent resident, it may make sense to move to Canada on a work permit first.

It’s generally much faster to obtain a work permit than to obtain permanent residency, and foreign nationals in Canada on work permits have an advantage in pursuing PR.

Temporary Foreign Worker Program

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) is the go-to work permit program for many Canadian employers, as it allows an employer to hire a foreign national for any job, from any country,

So any worker can get a work permit through the TFWP, provided that they get a job offer from an employer who has completed a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), and meet Canada’s entry requirements.

But the TFWP also has specialized streams that provide additional benefits to tech workers.

Global Talent Stream

The Global Talent Stream allows for workers in certain tech occupations to get work permits more quickly.

Under the Global Talent Stream, the average processing time for an LMIA under this stream is just eight business days, compared to three to four months for non-GTS LMIAs.

You may be eligible for the Global Talent Stream if you meet the criteria for Category A or Category B.

Category A

The job offer comes from an innovative company that is referred by one of the stream’s designated referral partners, and the position being requested requires unique and specialized talent.

As part of these criteria, the company must be operating in Canada, focused on innovation, and have a willingness and ability to scale up.

The employee must have

• A job offer that pays at least $38.46 per hour (an $80,000 annual base salary), or pays at least the prevailing wage of the occupation (whichever is higher).
• Advanced knowledge of the industry; and
• An advanced degree in an area of specialization of interest to the employer, or at least five years’ specialized experience in the field.

Category B

The job offer comes from a firm in Canada and is in an occupation found on ESDC’s global talent occupations list, such as civil engineers, electrical and electronic engineers, and information system analysts and consultants.

You can view the whole list here:

Workers hired through Category B must be paid the prevailing wage or higher.

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International Mobility Program

Work permits under the International Mobility Program (IMP) are easier to obtain than TFWP work permits, but have stricter requirements, meaning that fewer foreign workers will qualify.

Under the IMP, tech workers can pursue two main types of work permits: Intra Company Transfers, and the Innovation Stream.

Intra Company Transfers

Intra-Company Transfers (ICTs) allow multinational corporations with a branch, subsidiary or affiliate in Canada to obtain work permits for key personnel to build their business in Canada.

To be eligible, an employee must have been continuously employed by the company that plans to transfer them to Canada in a similar full-time position for at least one year within the past the three-years.

Moreover, their occupation must fall under one of the following:

• Executives and senior managers;
• Functional managers; or
• Individual contributors with specialized knowledge.

Specialized knowledge is the category typically used to make tech professionals eligible for an ICT work permit.

Innovation Stream

The Innovation Stream allows skilled workers to get employer-specific work permits. To be eligible, one must have a job offer from one of the eight companies participating in the Global Hypergrowth Project (GHP):

• Ada.
• AlayaCare.
• CellCarta.
• Clarius Mobile Health.
• Clio.
• Lightspeed Commerce.
• Duchesnay Pharmaceutical Group.
• Vive Crop Protection.

The job must be in a skilled occupation (NOC TEER categories 0, 1, 2, or 3), and the worker must have the required education and experience listed in the employment requirements for the occupation.

Express Entry – Category Based Selection Draws

Foreign nationals both inside and outside Canada can pursue permanent residency through Canada’s Express Entry system, by competing against other candidates in the pool to receive an invitation to apply for (ITA) PR.

Tech workers will often be competitive Express Entry candidates.

To pursue PR through Express Entry, a foreign national must meet the minimum requirements of at least one of the three federal immigration programs managed by the Express Entry system:

• The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP);
• The Canadian Experience Class (CEC); or
• The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).

The primary minimum requirements are proficiency in English or French, demonstrated by taking a government-approved language test, and skilled work experience.

Upon meeting the minimum requirements and having entered the pool, each candidate profile is assigned a score using Canada’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which in addition to language and work experience, includes factors such as age and education.

The federal government conducts periodic draws from the Express Entry pool, in which they invite the highest-scoring candidates qualifying for that draw to apply for permanent residence.

Applicants who receive ITAs can respond with complete applications for permanent residence, which are typically processed within six months.

In addition to generally being high-scoring candidates under Canada’s CRS, tech workers may have an advantage by qualifying for Express Entry’s STEM category, which can allow them to be invited with a lower CRS score than if they did not qualify for that category.

In a category-based draw, Canada invites only candidates who meet the criteria for that specific category — in this case, at least six months of continuous full-time (or equivalent part-time) work experience in a qualifying STEM occupation:

If the foreign national intends to settle in Canada with their spouse, their spouse will also factor into the profile’s CRS score.

Provincial Nominee Programs

Some of Canada’s provinces have Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) immigration pathways that make it easier for tech workers to get permanent residence.

To obtain permanent residence through a PNP, a foreign national must first receive a nomination from the province or territory, and then apply to the federal government for PR.

To qualify for a PNP, a foreign national must demonstrate an intent to reside in the province or territory nominating them, in addition to meeting the requirements of the particular stream.

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) – tech draws

Ontario’s Provincial Nominee Program conducts tech-targeted draws mainly via the Express Entry Human Capital Priorities stream.

To be eligible, candidates must meet the criteria of the Human Capital Priorities stream, regarding work experience, education, language proficiency, and settlement funds.

The province regularly invites candidates with experience in select tech occupations:

Eligible candidates in the Express Entry pool may receive a Notification of Interest (NOI) from the OINP in their online account. They then have 45 days to respond to the OINP with an application for nomination.

Upon receiving a nomination from the OINP, a successful candidate will be awarded an additional 600 CRS points, greatly increasing their ranking in the candidate pool, and making them eligible for PNP Express Entry draws.

Assess your eligibility for enhanced PNP streams

Alberta’s Accelerated Tech Pathway

Alberta has an Accelerated Tech Pathway under the Alberta Express Entry stream.

Through this pathway, the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) regularly issues invitations to apply for provincial nomination to eligible Express Entry candidates who are working in Alberta’s tech sector.

To qualify, a candidate must have an active profile in the Express Entry pool, and must have a qualifying job offer in an eligible occupation from an Alberta tech industry employer.

The candidate’s primary occupation on their Express Entry profile must also match the occupation of their job offer.

Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program’s Tech Talent Pathway

Saskatchewan has a designated pathway for workers who have a job offer for a high-skilled tech occupation in the province.

To qualify, a foreign national must have a qualifying job offer in an eligible occupation, and their employer must have obtained a Job Approval Letter from the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP).

Candidates must also meet language proficiency requirements, work experience requirements, and education requirements.

To be considered, a foreign national must follow one of two application processes, depending on whether they are going through the Express Entry or non-Express Entry path.

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